Goat's Cheese and Prosciutto Tarts

This is an easy meal to whip up especially on a hectic weeknight. A tart is defined as a single-layered base of pastry (plain or puff) with a sweet or savory filling baked in either a shallow tart pan that has straight, fluted sides and a removable bottom or a metal tart ring placed on a baking sheet. 

Serves 4
recipe adapted from Donna Hay
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4 sheets puff pastry, thawed
250g goat's cheese
250g ricotta
1 egg, plus extra, lightly beaten, for brushing
150g cherry tomatoes, halved
150g yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup basil leaves
8 slices prosciutto, torn
rocket (arugula) leaves, to serve
lemon-flavored or extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Preheat oven to 200c (400f). Cut 4 (18cm) rounds from the pastry and place on baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Using a small, sharp knife score a 1cm border in each round. Place goat's cheese, ricotta and egg in a bowl and mix to combine. Divide the cheese mixture between pastry rounds, brush the pastry borders with egg and bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Top tarts with tomato, basil, prosciutto and rocket leaves. Drizzle with oil to serve.

The Culinary Chase's Note: This was easy to prepare, fresh and packed with flavor! 

Sobeys Inc.

I've never done a posting specifically on a grocery store. Having said that, I received an email from Sobeys saying the renovations at their Windsor Street was complete and they wanted to send me a special gift basket that showcases some of the new offerings in the store. As a food blogger it's encouraging to see grocery chains keeping up with market trends and also supporting the local communities. The basket of goodies arrived this morning and with the exception of two cheeses, everything else was either from Nova Scotia or from Canada.

Sobeys was started by John William (JW) Sobey in 1907.  JW began a meat delivery business with a horse-drawn cart, where he purchased and collected livestock from local farmers for resale.  In 1924 JW's son, Frank Sobey, persuaded his father to expand the family business from meat and a few local vegetables to a full line of groceries.  Eager to join the latest revolution in food distribution, Frank Sobey opened the first modern Sobeys supermarket in Atlantic Canada in 1947.  Today, Sobeys Inc. is now a $15.2 billion company with more than 1,300 corporate and franchised stores across the country.

The basket contained some local items that I buy on a regular basis plus a few items I haven't tried such as the cashew butter and lalma detox tea. 

Basket contents:

• 24 Carrots Bakery (English muffins and Morning Glory muffins)
• Just Us (fair trade milk chocolate)
• Virage Santé (Lalma detox tea)
• Ganong (chocolates since 1873)
• Certified Chocoholic (assorted fudge)
• Golden Bakery (assorted shortbreads)
• Celebrity Goat Cheese (cranberry goat cheese with cinnamon)
• Pleasure and Cheeses (brie double cream with fine herbs)
• Yum Foods (naturally nutty organic cashew butter)
• Avogel (all natural creamy peanut butter)
• Pretty Unique Cheese (sticky toffee cheese from England)
• Mexicana with hot pepper cheese (product of UK)
• Holmestead (feta cheese)
• Ethiopian Limu (ground coffee)
• Naturally Nova Scotia (echinacea bottle and vitamin C bottle)

The Culinary Chase's Note:  As a firm supporter of our local community, when I discover new products that are locally made or made in Canada, I always include them in my recipes (wherever possible).  And I will always choose these over products made elsewhere.  Wherever you live, support the local community and save the farms!

Citrus Delicious Pudding

I love making desserts that are effortless and taste scrumptious.  This easy dessert will certainly brighten up any dreary day.  And why not...lemons are more commonly known as the fruit that evokes images of sunshine as well as the sweet smiles of children standing roadside at their homemade lemonade stands. Lemons and limes are an excellent source of vitamin C.

Serves 6
recipe adapted from Donna Hay
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90g butter, softened
330g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar (superfine)
375ml (1 1/2 cups) milk
3 eggs
125ml (1/2 cup) lemon juice
75g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 180c (350f). Place all ingredients except icing sugar in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a lightly greased 5 cup capacity (1.25 litre) ovenproof dish and bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Light on the top and dense on the bottom makes this dessert deliciously easy to devour!

Duck with Slow-Braised Lentils and Sage

Compared to other types of dried beans, lentils are relatively quick and easy to prepare. With approximately 26% of their calories from protein, lentils and generally any pulses or legumes have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any plant-based food after soybeans and hemp. A variety of pulses or lentils exists with colors that range from yellow to red-orange to green, brown and black. Lentils are relatively tolerant to drought and are grown throughout the world. About a third of the worldwide production of lentils is from India, most of which is consumed in the domestic market. Canada is the largest export producer of lentils in the world and Saskatchewan is the most important producing region in Canada. Lentils are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber.

Serves 8
recipe adapted from Donna Hay
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1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8 sage leaves
1 1/2 cups Puy (green) lentils (rinsed and drained in a strainer)
250ml (1 cup) brandy
250ml (1 cup) apple juice
560ml (2 1/4 cups) chicken stock
4 x 220g duck breast fillets, skin on, trimmed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat over to 120c (250f). Heat oil in a heavy-based ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and sage and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Add the lentils, brandy, apple juice and stock and cover with a lid. Cook in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Cook the duck, skin-side down,, for 3-4 minutes or until browned. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes. Transfer the duck and pan juices to the lentil mixture, cover and cook in the oven for a further 20 minutes for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Stir through salt and pepper and spoon onto serving plates. Slice the duck and arrange atop the lentil mixture.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Earthy tones followed by a touch of sweetness is what awaits your taste buds from this dish! Enjoy.

Roasted Cauliflower with Lemony Tahini Dressing

Tahini is made from sesame seeds. They are soaked in water for a day, then crushed to separate the bran from the kernels. The crushed seeds are put into salted water, where the bran sinks, but the kernels float and are skimmed off the surface. They are toasted and ground to produce an oily paste (somewhat like peanut butter). There are two types of tahini, light and dark, and the light ivory version is considered to have both the best flavor and texture. You'll find tahini in hummus, baba ghanoush, halva and other traditional Middle Eastern dishes.  Not only are sesame seeds a very good source of manganese and copper, but they are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber.

Serves 8
recipe adapted from Canadian House & Home magazine
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2 heads cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
4 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons water
juice of 1 large or 2 small lemons
2 teaspoons za'atar

Preheat oven to 200c (400f). Toss cauliflower florets in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread out evenly on a baking sheet. You don't want to overcrowd them as the cauliflower will steam rather than roast, so you may have to bake in 2 batches. Roast until slightly browned, about 25 minutes.

In a small bowl mix together tahini, water and lemon juice. It will be a stiff mixture at first but continue to stir until a pourable consistency is formed. If too thick, thin it with a bit more water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss roasted cauliflower with dressing and sprinkle with za'atar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The Culinary Chase's Note:  Roasted cauliflower is delicious on its own but when I served this with the lemony tahini dressing, there were hands outstretched asking, "more please"!

Spinach, Feta and Tomato Slice

There are few things more proudly Australian than the slice. To be honest, I wasn't sure what a slice was when my Aussie friend invited me over one afternoon (a few years ago) for a cuppa and a slice (tea and cake). The humble slice can also be seen as a culinary, or even cultural, identifier of Australia's Anglo-Celtic heritage. It is meant to be easy as baking a cake for visitors, yet it says you've made so much more of an effort than just cooking up a batch of biscuits. While the concept of the slice appears almost unknown in the US and the UK, there are some recipes that are too fancy for a biscuit but still not a cake. The American chocolate brownie is one example and a slice can be sweet or savory.

Serves 6
recipe adapted from Australian Good Taste magazine
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1 1/2 sheets (25 x 25cm) frozen shortcrust pastry, just thawed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 leek, pale section only, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bunch baby spinach, washed
100g feta, crumbled
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
3 eggs, lightly whisked
180ml (3/4 cup) pouring cream (18% milk fat but I used 10%)
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 180c (350f). Brush a 25 x 16cm (base measurement) slice pan with oil. Line the base and sides with the pastry. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest the bake for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a medium non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook the leek and garlic, stirring for 2 minutes or until the leek is soft. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Spread leek and spinach mixture over pastry base. Top with feta and tomato. Whisk egg, cream and parmesan in a large jug. Pour over the spinach mixture and bake 30 minutes or until firm.

The Culinary Chase's Note: This is lovely hot from the oven for dinner or cold for lunch. Serve with a side of your favorite salad. Bliss!

Aioli Garlic Bread

Aioli (pronounced ahy-oh-lee) is a garlic-flavored mayonnaise from Provence, served with fish and seafood and often with vegetables. The sauce is made of garlic and olive oil with egg sometimes added but purists say this isn't considered traditional. Chef John, from Food Wishes, has a wonderful video using aioli for garlic bread. Click here to view the video.

Makes about 1/4 cup
aioli recipe adapted from Dean & Deluca
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2 medium, very fresh garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
5 tablespoons green extra-virgin olive oil

For the Bread:
French bread
grated Parmesan cheese
freshly chopped parsley
aioli

Fill a mortar with boiling water. After 1 minute, remove the water and dry the mortar. Add the garlic cloves and the salt. Start pounding them with the pestle. When a smooth paste is achieved, add the egg yolk. Moving the pestle rapidly against the walls of the mortar, blend the yolk together with the garlic. When blended, begin adding the olive oil in a thin stream, still moving the pestle rapidly against the walls of the mortar. Continue until all the olive oil is added and a thick mayonnaise is achieved. Add water if necessary, if you like it thinner. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate up to 5 days.

Preheat oven to 220c (450f). To make the aioli garlic bread, cut the bread and spread the aioli all over the top of the bread. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese has melted. Remove from the heat and lightly scatter chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Hand made aioli on bread...divine! Use quality extra virgin olive oil for optimum flavor. I used Leccino organic olive oil from Liquid Gold which has intense notes of artichoke and green grass in the center.  The bamboo boat-like container holding the aioli garlic bread and clear container holding the olive oil are from RestaurantWare (biodegradable tableware).

Spiced Lamb Pitas

Lunch or dinner ready in less than 20 minutes! Although high in saturated fat, lamb is a very good source of protein, providing 60.3% of the daily value for protein. It is also a good source of zinc which is critical not only to immune function, but for wound healing, and normal cell division. If you like this recipe, then you might also like:  Ali Nazik (Eggplant Purée with Lamb & Yogurt), Warm Lamb & Roasted Red Pepper Salad, Lamb Exohiko, Lamb Manti with Yogurt and Harissa, Gordon Ramsay's Tandoori Lamb Salad.

Serves 4
recipe adapted from Donna Hay magazine
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250g lamb mince
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley
4 pita breads, split
180g goat's cheese
olive oil, for brushing

Preheat the oven to 220c (425f). Place the mince, coriander, cumin, chili, salt, pepper and parsley in a bowl and mix well to combine. Spread one half of the pita breads with the goat's cheese and top with the lamb mince. Sandwich with the remaining pita breads. Brush with olive oil and place on a baking tray. Cook for 10 minutes or until the bread is crispy and the lamb is cooked through. Slice and serve with dips such as hummus, baba ghanoush or beetroot.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Cumin is one of my favorite spices but when mixed with a bit of chili the taste factor of this meal goes from good to scrumptious!  Enjoy!

Vegan Congo Bars

I usually get my inspiration to cook by glossing over food magazines or cookbooks and then there are other times when I see something on a cooking show that ignites a fire in me to recreate what I saw. But this recipe was born out of an effort to help raise money for a health center where I live. In its second year, BUST A MOVE, is the fund raising event by the IWK Health Centre to raise money to finance the renovations needed to jumpstart the next phase of a world-class Breast Health Centre, which will be located at the IWK Health Centre. The vision of the Breast Health Centre is to have one-stop care so patients can receive treatment in a comforting, all-inclusive care environment. My girlfriend, Jennifer, asked me if I would join her team, 'bippity bobbity boobs' and did so a few weeks ago. My Mom is a breast cancer survivor (double mastectomy) and has been cancer-free for almost 10 years (thank God).

So with a mind to raise money for a worthy cause, I asked Geoff, the owner of Smiling Goat (an organic espresso bar), if he would be interested in supporting this event. He suggested I make something vegan as he has customers who ask for vegan goodies while having a coffee. I surfed the internet and found chooseveg.com. I was quite excited, I have to say, about making a vegan dessert.



Makes 18 bars
recipe adapted from ChooseVeg
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2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup margarine, plus extra for greasing the pan
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
Egg replacer equivalent to 3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts and/or 1/2 cup flake coconut, optional

Preheat the oven to 180c (350°F). Grease and lightly flour a 9"x 13" glass baking dish. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Melt the margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and combine with brown sugar in a bowl. Mix in the egg replacer, 1/3 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sifted flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate and the nuts and/or coconut, if desired. Spread the dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake until golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, usually 30 to 35 minutes, but start testing at 20 minutes. Place on a rack to cool for about 20 minutes. Cut into 18 bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

The Culinary Chase's Note: Natural egg replacer is available in health food stores as well as some grocery stores that cater to the vegan market. Here in Halifax, Pete's and Planet Organic carry a natural egg replacer and vegan chocolate chips. The first batch I took over to Smiling Goat I quickly found out that the chocolate chips I used had cocoa butter in it (a vegan no-no). The original recipe didn't say vegan chocolate chips and being a bit ignorant, I purchased my favorite brand of chocolate chips. So the next batch was all vegan and I have to say these bars tasted like chewy chocolate chip cookies...very delicious!

I'm almost there with my personal goal of $1,000.00 but our team still needs your help. Click here for my personal donation page as every little bit counts. Thank you so much!

Crab and Leek Risotto

There's a sense of accomplishment when a meal looks great, tastes great but isn't fussy.  Even though this dish requires some stirring, it's not a daunting task so don't be put off by this because the end result is a delicious, creamy risotto. The fresh herbs liven up this risotto and compliments the delicate flavor of the crab meat. Crabmeat is a good source of minerals such as calcium, copper, zinc, phosphorus and iron, while having lower levels of fat and carbohydrates. It is also rich in chromium, which helps insulin to metabolize sugar, and thereby lowers the blood glucose levels in the body which is good for diabetics.



Serves 4
recipe adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller
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2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, white part only, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
300g (1 1/2 cups) Arborio rice
100ml dry white wine
4 cups hot chicken stock, approximately
400g crab meat
100g mascarpone
1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs such as dill, basil and coriander

Heat oil in a large saucepan and cook leeks, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add garlic and rice and stir over low heat until coated with oil and lightly toasted. Add wine and stir over low heat until absorbed.  Add 1 cup of hot stock to rice mixture and stir over low-medium heat until stock is absorbed. Add remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Add more stock if necessary, for about 25 minutes, or until rice is just tender (al dente). Stir in crab meat, mascarpone and herbs with the last addition of stock and season to taste. Remove from pan and stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

The Culinary Chase's Note:  According to Australian Gourmet magazine, choose a Chardonnay to go with this dish that has been grown in a cool climate as this tends to produce a leaner, tightly structured wine with delicate peach and apple flavors. They recommend Rosemount Estate - Rose Label Orange Vineyard Chardonnay.